FAQ

Q: What is Rocket Queen about?

A: I guess at its heart, Rocket Queen is about a depressed teenage girl. Haha, at least, that’s to put it simply. I’m hoping it’s a story where readers will identify with Wren’s struggle to find peace of mind and happiness despite everything else she’s going through. 

Q: How did you come up with the story?

A: I’ve always written stories─both in my head and on paper or choreographed dances while listening to music. When I had to make a decision about my high school senior project, I didn’t want to do any of the expected or suggested project ideas. I had been meaning to write a novel for a long time and I figured, if I played my cards right and was able to convince everyone that writing a novel could count as a senior project, that it’d be something I could swing. As for the story itself, I just thought about the frustrations I had with society, what I wished people would think about more, what truths I wanted them to see, and then I wrote it all out on paper. I tried to write and capture things as they really are, so I wrote about experiences that were familiar and what I was thinking and feeling. Any time I had what I thought was a new, sudden realization about life or humanity, I would begin to write that into the story. 

Q: Why did you decide to write about this girl’s experiences with mental illness and all of the chaos that goes on in the story?

A: I’ve struggled with mental health problems for a while now and will for the rest of my life. I think these will always come across in my stories. In terms of Wren’s story specifically,  I wanted to write and create a character who people resonated with─someone they could see themselves in and really connect with. And I wanted a story that could show others how trauma affects a person long past the actual traumatic events themselves. I tried to write about Wren’s issues as realistically as possible, not backing away from the truth about depression and the sadness and anger that comes from finding yourself in situations completely out of your control. I hope that in writing a character like this I can give people a feeling of being understood, of knowing that they’re not the only one. 

Q: What is the strongest message in the book and why?

A: There are a lot of strong and important messages in the book, from those around music to those about mental health, free will, and identity. I think the strongest message is about self-acceptance and the importance of doing what you think is right. The entire book is about Wren’s journey to finding herself. She goes through a lot of changes and has to learn to trust others and, in turn, to trust herself.

Q: Who is your favorite character and why?

A: I gotta say that my favorite characters have to be the main two: Wren and Aidan, with Wren being my absolute favorite. I suppose I wouldn’t have chosen to write from her point of view if she wasn’t my favorite, so it makes sense that she’s the one I connect to the most. I like her stubbornness and wit and how she always manages to get into trouble. I also really liked writing her flaws, from her innate neuroticism to her unintentional self-absorption. But, at the end of the day, she’s a good person who really tries to do what she believes is right. She wants to help people. And though Wren may be standoffish and difficult, and making friends doesn’t come easily to her, when she does finally let someone in, she truly cares for them deeply and unconditionally. She would do anything for them. This comes across a lot when she connects with Aidan─he brings out another, softer side to her and they complement each other well. Where she’s stubborn, he’s forgiving; where she’s serious, he’s easy going; and where she’s insecure, he’s confident. Because of this, they develop an interdependent relationship, relying on one another for everything, whether they know it or not. 

Q: You are a freshman in college and a young author, what challenged you the most about writing your first novel?

A: I worried a lot about this novel ending up as compiled pages of nonsense, or even worse, a boring story. I worried about the direction of the plot, the perception of the characters and messages, and how I, as the author, would be seen based on the outcome of it all. Hell, I’m still worried about that last one. Also, it was difficult to balance all my school work with the writing. I always wanted to just skip through homework in favor of getting back to the book. It was so much more interesting to me than anything else I was supposed to be doing. In fact, it has made me realize that what I really want to be doing with my life is writing novels, so I will probably be changing my major in the near future to make this happen. It’s a risky move, but you really do only have one life… 

Q: What else can we expect to see from you in the near future?

A: Oh man, I’m currently working on a lot of things. Actually, I’ve sort of got too many different ideas going on. Whatever it is I do next, I probably want to make it a series, and I will continue to write from the perspective of young adults. One of the series I’m working on will be a collaboration between me and my sister. I also have plans for a number of stand-alones, including one about the rise and fall of an American rock band.